There Are Six Reasons To Buy The Samsung Galaxy S23 & Six Reasons Not To:
Whether you’re looking for a new smartphone, you must decide whether to get the Galaxy S23 right now or wait to see if any other of the top models will end up being a better investment.
Pre-Order Are Available:
Even though the Galaxy S23 won’t be available until February 17, it still makes sense to decide now. Pre-orders for the Galaxy S23 are already available, and if you get the new phone soon, you may save money on it.
On the other hand, new gadgets are on the way. The One-plus 11 makes its international premiere on February 7 for instance. The Galaxy S23 may not be the best option for you; maybe that phone or one of the more expensive Samsung models, such the Galaxy S23 Plus or Galaxy S23 Ultra, would work out better.
We’ve put together a Galaxy S23 hands-on with our early thoughts on the new phone to assist you in making a choice. View the Galaxy S23 specifications to learn more about the features offered by the newest Samsung flagship. And our comparison of the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23 Plus, and Galaxy S23 Ultra outlines the distinctions among the most recent versions.
Reason To Buy Galaxy S23:
A Chic New Layout:
Recently, there was a debate over whether the Galaxy S23 really sports much of a new design in the Tom’s Guide office. I would have replied that it did not, had I not seen the phone in person. But comparing the S23 to the Galaxy S22 from the previous year is pretty telling.
I believe the Galaxy S23 benefits greatly from the absence of a camera hump. The phone seems smoother and more finished than it did before, like a product you would pay much more than $799 for. That impression is most likely explained by the way it mimics the appearance of current Galaxy S Ultra devices.
That alone just contrasts the Galaxy S23 with its forerunner. If you’re replacing an earlier model, the S23 probably offers a far more stylish appearance.
An Effective New chipset:
Every new flagship is equipped with the most advanced silicon, which promises significant improvements in performance and battery use. However, it seems that there is more than just talk in the case of the Galaxy S23’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU, at least in terms of performance.
The newest Qualcomm chip isn’t merely an off-the-shelf model used by the Galaxy S23 series. Instead, it’s a specialized version with a faster main CPU core clock speed dubbed the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy.
Although we haven’t yet received test results specifically for the Galaxy S23, our early Galaxy S23 Ultra benchmarks have given us an idea of how the S23 will perform. (The fact that the $799 Galaxy S23 as well as the $1,199 Galaxy S23 Ultra share the same chip-set is a major plus for the less expensive phone.)
The S23 Ultra outperformed other Android smartphones and even outperformed the iPhone 14’s multi-core Geekbench score. The S23 Ultra managed to outperform the A16 Bionic-powered iPhone 14 Pro in one of our graphics benchmark tests, but it still remains our top performer overall.
While the Galaxy S23 Ultra probably benefits from having more RAM (12GB compared to 8GB in the S23), the Galaxy S23 should achieve the same overall outcomes. Given the price, this phone seems to be incredibly powerful.
New Front-Facing Camera:
There is a new front camera for Samsung’s flagships, continuing the tradition of features from other S23 models that Samsung also included in the less expensive Galaxy S23. The Galaxy S23’s 12MP camera is an improvement over the Galaxy S22’s 10MP front-facing camera.
But this isn’t simply a little increase in megapixels. When taking low-light self-portraits, the new front camera on the Galaxy S23 series should benefit from a quicker focusing and enhanced night photography capabilities. Since the front camera can also record 4K video at 60 frames per second, all of the images you take with it ought to seem more fluid.
Durable Design:
The Galaxy S23 should be more robust than its predecessor, but we’ll have to wait until the phone begins delivering later this month for drop testing. The Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 will be used for the first time in the Galaxy S23 series, offering an additional layer of protection to the phone’s front and back.
With the Galaxy S23, Samsung also brings back the scratch-resistant aluminium it utilized on its flagship models from the previous year, and the new phones continue to meet IP68 standards for water and dust protection. It seems like the Galaxy S23 is designed to stay in excellent form throughout the years, no matter what life throws at you, assuming you prefer to hang onto your smartphone for as long as the gadget can endure. (We would still most likely spend money on a Galaxy S23 case, however.)
A Vivid Display:
I recently evaluated the displays of the Galaxy S22, iPhone 14, and Pixel 7 to discover which flagship phone has the greatest overall display. Although it was close, the Samsung flagship from the previous year won. What ways does Samsung make with the Galaxy S23 to improve upon that? by increasing the brightness of the panel.
The Galaxy S22’s screen was already quite brilliant, I assure you. When we tested it, our light meter registered 1,152 nits with HDR enabled, which is quite close to the 1,300 nits claimed for the max brightness of last year’s phone.
Samsung has increased the Galaxy S23’s maximum brightness to 1,750 nits, the same level as the S23 Plus and S23 Ultra. The Galaxy S23 should outperform every other phone in its pricing range if it even comes close to that mark throughout our testing.
Extra Low-Light Characteristics Include:
With the Galaxy S23, Samsung keeps focusing on night photography, which it has been doing for more than a year. An AI-powered ISP algorithm for improved clarity and color tone in whatever you’re shooting was one of the things Samsung spoke about at the Galaxy Unpacked announcement. Additionally, even in low light, the S23’s AI Stereo Depth Map should make your subjects stand out in portrait photographs.
These improvements seem wonderful on paper, but testing will be necessary to verify if the Galaxy S23 lives up to Samsung’s claims. But it sounds like the Galaxy S23 can be what you’re looking for if you’ve been unhappy with the quality of your low-light images taken with other camera phones.
Reason To Skip Galaxy S23:
Hardware For The Back Camera Has Not Been Upgraded:
It’s a good thing that Samsung is improving the Galaxy S23’s photo-editing tools. Because every other lens on the S23 is the same as the model from the previous year, with the exception of that newly designed front camera.
the primary camera with 50MP? It is identical to what you get with the Galaxy S22. The 12MP ultra-wide camera as well as the 10MP telephoto lens operate similarly. The Galaxy S23 Ultra, the priciest model in this series, is the only one to offer the greatest camera upgrade—a 200MP primary camera.
Normally, depending on the phone you’re replacing, this wouldn’t be a major concern. If the cameras on the Galaxy S23 are better than the ones on your current phone, why cares if they are identical to those on the Galaxy S22? Normally, I’d agree with that statement, but Samsung is still selling the Galaxy S22 at a discount. Grab a $699 S22 if you want to save money on your next phone and have the same camera hardware as Galaxy S23 users.
No Adjustments To Charge Rate:
If you like rapid charging, you may want to wait for the OnePlus 11, which will provide 80W wired charging to consumers in the United States (and 100W elsewhere). The Galaxy S23 lags behind with 25W wired charging rates in comparison.
It doesn’t have to be this way, necessarily. With a more acceptable 45W charging speed, the Galaxy S23 Plus & Galaxy S23 Ultra are also available. But it seems that Samsung has determined that this is one of the ways it can set its more costly models apart from the S23, which is the entry-level device. Therefore, you are limited to using the Galaxy S22’s speeds.
The Basic Model’s Storage Capacity Is Just 128GB:
We support Samsung’s move to increase the storage capacity on certain of its phones. The storage capacity of the Galaxy S23 Plus & Galaxy S23 Ultra is now twice that of the Galaxy S22, starting at 256GB. Additionally, it comes with twice as much storage as the standard iPhone 14 model.
But “Plus” and “Ultra” were the crucial terms there. With the Galaxy S23’s $799 starting price, you get 128GB of storage. You must spend an extra $60 to obtain up to 256GB.
There is a solution, but you must move immediately. The pre-order offer from Samsung offers a free automatic storage increase. Therefore, the 256GB Galaxy S23 is available for $799, and you qualify for an extra credit that may be used to phone accessories. The pre-sale discount (opens in new tab) is only valid while supplies last; after that, the 256GB S23 will once again cost $859.
The Best Battery Life May Not Be Available:
We discovered that despite costing much more, the Galaxy S series doesn’t provide noticeably greater battery life than the Galaxy A series. The S Pen silo in the S23 Ultra, which takes up space that might be utilized to accommodate a larger battery, is one of the factors contributing to this.
Consider the iPhone 14 Pro Max, Red Magic 8 Pro, or even a mid-range Galaxy A series phone if a longer battery life is your top goal, at least until we get battery test results for the S23 Ultra.
It Charges At The Same Speeds As The S22 Ultra:
The upgraded processor could result in a minor increase in battery life, but the Galaxy S23 Ultra still supports 45W charging. Samsung continues to be frustratingly cautious at a time when other Android manufacturers are giving 100W charging or greater. Like the last time, a charger is not included in the package this time.
The Majority Of People Do Not Need The S Pen:
Given the growing similarities between the Galaxy Note and Galaxy S series, Samsung made the decision to combine them last year. As a result, the Galaxy S22 Ultra became the first Galaxy S device to have an integrated S Pen pen.
The S Pen is nice to have and has some unique functions, but most people don’t need one. Your phone is really just a window to your favorite applications, and the majority of apps aren’t designed to take use of a stylus.
Only those who often use their phones to take notes, sign papers, or produce artwork will benefit from having a built-in stylus. If that’s not you, think about purchasing the standard Galaxy S23 as it is much less expensive.